FE News | The Warwickshire College Group appoints a new chief executive and principal

A leading group of colleges in Warwickshire and Worcestershire has appointed a new chief executive and principal.

Sara-Jane Watkins has been appointed to a senior role at WCG (Warwickshire College Group), which covers six colleges in the Midlands, and will start in September.

He is currently College Principal of South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS), a position he has held since 2015, and also serves as Deputy Chief Executive of the SGS Group, which includes SGS Academy Trust, SGS Commercial Service and the college.

During her time at the university, she achieved a significant increase in the number of students aged 16-18 from 1,300 to over 4,000, and played a key role in developing an apprenticeship program for 1,500 apprentices and expanding its offer to students aged 14-16. years old.

She also chaired the Gloucestershire Education Development Fund, helping to secure £5 million to develop low carbon training resources.

Sara-Jane has a background in the land sector and obtained a degree in Urban Planning from the University of Gloucestershire in 1997. After graduating, she joined Hartpury College and was promoted to Director of Communications, before joining SGS in 2002 as Director of . corporate planning .

The WCG includes Royal Leamington Spa College, Warwick Trident College, Rugby College, Moreton Morrell College, Pershore College and Evesham New College.

She said:

“I am honored and excited to take on this role. With over 20 years of experience in further education and five years in residential school, I bring a deep commitment to enhancing educational opportunities in both our rural and urban communities.

“My commitment to education has always been guided by the belief that every student deserves access to high-quality educational experiences, and I look forward to continuing this mission at WCG.

“I look forward to working with our talented staff and students who form the backbone of the college, and supporting strong partnerships with local and regional stakeholders.

“Collaboration will be key as we work to secure the investment and necessary support to provide our education community with the best possible resources and opportunities.

“I want to contribute to the continued success of the college and make a positive impact on the lives of our students and ensure that we remain a vital resource to the communities and businesses we serve.”

Gill Clipson, CEO of WCG Corporation, said:

“We look forward to maintaining the high quality of our services and the strong reputation we have earned as Sara-Jane leads us through the next phase of WCG’s development, focusing on excellence in everything we do and serving the needs of our local communities.

“We would like to thank Peter Husband for his excellent work as interim CEO and director over the last six months.”